MINES OFF AUSTRALIA.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 January 1918, Page 5

MINES OFF AUSTRALIA.

ANOTHER NEAR GABO. COLLIER'S NARROW ESCAPE. TUe steam collier Werribee, belonging to Htiddarl-Parker, Ltd., which arrived at Melbourne a fortnight ago, had an exciting experience 011 her trip from New - castle. When near Gabo Island the third officer, who was on the bridge, noticed a suspicious-lookiijg object floating above the water almost in a direct line with the bow of the ship. Passing it less than half a ship's length away on the starboard side, he could see that it was a mine with four prongs and a piece of word attached. Several of the crew were looking oveir the ship's side. Had the vessel been passing that spot a few hours later, when darkness would have obscured the danger, the possibilities (were'that the ship and many of those on board would have been sent to the bottom.

111 conversation with several of the crew it was learnt that when the vessel was passing the vicinity 011 the previous trip to Newcastle a schooner, which has since reached Melbourne, was then almost 011 the same spot at which the mine was observed on the Werribee's return trip to Melbourne.

Commenting on a similar discovery j made on October 9, the Minister for the j Navy, Mr. Joseph Cook, then made a I statement, in the course of which he said the operations ot mine sweepers* had revealed that a mine lield had been established about five miles from Gabo Island. The nifties so far discovered were laid ill deep water, and in an open situation. The mines might have dragged to some distance from the position in which they were originally laid. Some weeks later the .master of the. cargo carrier Aeon, belonging to Howard' Smith, Ltd., reported to the look-out at Gabo Island lighthouse that he had passed a buoy with a spar attached off Green Gape, bearing west .by seutlj, ten miles magnetic, and that it looked like a floating mine. Shortly afterwards a persistent rumor reached' Melbourne that a floating mine had been washed ashore in Mallacoota Inlet, a few miles to the west of Gabo Island.